Anyone Else Not Getting Calls?

[EchoMom]

I am super low on kids right now and need to fill spots asap. I signed one kid 3 weeks ago, but need to sign more to make up for lost kids. The calls haven't been coming in as much as usual, and even the pregnant moms seemed to have disappeared! I had a batch of interviews last week or so and all of them turned out a bust for various reasons.

I get sick to my stomach and a nervous wreck when I'm down on kids and have no leads to fill them. Even if it's only a few days without a call I just can't stand it!

Is it just the season? I don't want to get desperate and frantic and start lengthening my hours I've worked so hard, and sucessfully, to shorten.

Someone talk me off the ledge please! Or should I be worried? Are other people getting calls, just not me???!!!!!!

[preschoolteacher]

Where I live, kids just went on summer vacation two weeks ago. Since summer break is "still new," I think families are just starting out their summer care plans, and it's still early enough so that if those plans aren't working out, families aren't quite ready to look for new options--you know what I mean?

I think this time of the summer, people get caught up in all of their plans and mentally check out for awhile, people probably aren't preparing for the fall yet, either.

I wonder if things will pick up after the 4th. That's always been the "summer is half-way over!" point for me.

Hang in there!

[Blackcat31]

Around here summer time is a slow calling period. Most families use high schoolers or college age kids as "cheap" care solutions.

I am still getting a lot of phone calls but I know for a fact that many of the newer providers in my area are struggling to get kids.

I think that the down turned economy has played a big role in the lack of children needing services as families are turning to relatives for care arrangements and parents are switching or adjusting their own schedules to not have such a huge need for childcare outside their own families.

It doesn't help that our local Head Start has begin offering summer care so a lot of those 3 and 4 year olds that were displaced for summer months are no longer needing child care through family child cares.

I get a several phone calls a week, but atleast half are for school age and/or infants and I take neither of those age groups.

I haven't had any issues filling spaces or keeping kids and am super grateful for that everyday.

....Sending good thoughts/wishes your way for the phone to start ringing for you!

[caregiver]

I think also that summertime is a slow time and people use high schooler's during the summer. I have not been getting a lot of calls either and it is very frustrating. I usually go by word of mouth or put ads in our local newspaper and once in awhile will use Craig's list, but am very cautious of using Craig's list. I also will go put ads in some elementary school's and church's, during the school year hoping someone might need daycare.
It is hard to sit and wait, but I guess that is what I will have to do.
Good Luck, I hope you start getting some calls.

[SilverSabre25]

I'm in the same boat. I have 1 spot I HAVE to fill, and another I'd *like* to fill.

But, no calls.

[mema]

Same boat here. I have had a few interviews, but they all need care starting in the fall and no one wants to pay a holding fee.

[williams2008]

I'm in the same boat as well. I have 2 spots that I need to fill quick.

Summertime here is really slow. Hang in there, I'm sure you will be getting calls soon!

[MarinaVanessa]

I am still getting a lot of phone calls but I know for a fact that many of the newer providers in my area are struggling to get kids.

I think that the down turned economy has played a big role in the lack of children needing services as families are turning to relatives for care arrangements and parents are switching or adjusting their own schedules to not have such a huge need for childcare outside their own families.

I get calls also and although I do have spots available I don't want to add any new kids yet not until August after I've delivered the baby. I'm also getting alot of calls for infants but I already have one that will still be considered an infant for another year and I'm saving an infant spot for my baby and I just don't want any more infants right now. I also get calls for SAers which I WON'T take for a while, they're too much trouble for me and not the age range that I cater to considering that I like the 0-5 age range and my toys and activities reflect that.

I get calls weekly even though it clearly says that I don't have availability on my website and I've had to take my car magnets down. BUT I do know that there are other providers that are looking for clients and are having a hard time. Some have only a 2-3 children signed up. Personally I think a lot of it has to do with confidence and the wording of their advertisements.

When I advertise I start off by saying what I am looking for (PT, FT, drop-in, hours, schedule, age etc) and I have a colorful flyer that I post with highlights of my DC which gets a lot of attention because around here no one does that. I also post bright cheerful photos of activities and my space and direct people to my website.

Oh and I thank all of the people that have shown interest in my daycare that I can't accommodate. I do this even if I haven't advertised in a while just to make it clear that I don't have room for certain schedules/ages etc which makes it sound like I do get a lot of interest. For example:

If I am just posting an advertisement for an opening that I have I post the starting date for the future even if I have an immediate opening. It will take me at least a week to interview and have a contract signed anyway (in most cases) and this prevents people from thinking that something is wrong with me because I have had an opening for a while. Instead I word it to sound like I will have an opening and am now having interviews for that spot. For example if i had a PT opening that I had available for a while just because I wanted a light load and then decided to try to fill it I would say ...

"Part-time opening available for Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday starting 4/18/13 for a child age 2 years to 5 years...

Thank you for all of the interest in an infant position, however at this time we do not currently have infant availability (age 0-23 months). We don't anticipate an infant opening until 07/01/14. Please call if you would like more information about being added to our infant waiting list.

[when the oldest infant turns two. It shows people that you keep clients for a long time and gives the impression that you may have a long wait-list therefore in high-demand whether or not you do or not].

It's just a play with words. If you exude confidence in your advertisements and when you speak to people during interviews they will sense that confidence and they will feel more at ease and confident in you. You know you are good at what you do, all you have to do is let others know how good you really are. If you are having trouble attracting interest the first thing to do is to figure out why? Is there just no or little demand for child care right now? Make advertisements professional looking that stand out above from your competition so that they call you first. Downplay the things that you feel are negative about your daycare and turn them into positives.

Small amount of space = rearrange your space to look bright, welcoming and attractive and utilize your space as efficiently as possible then say: "Creative thinking and use of space".

Small outside area = take the kids on walks frequently to parks with the intent of encouraging them to pay attention to the natural things around them then say = "Regular nature walks and outings to local parks to expose children to their community"

etc. Just be creative with words . There is so much that you can do ... but the first step is to figure out why you aren't getting any interest.

[Blackcat31]

It's just a play with words. If you exude confidence in your advertisements and when you speak to people during interviews they will sense that confidence and they will feel more at ease and confident in you. You know you are good at what you do, all you have to do is let others know how good you really are.

If you are having trouble attracting interest the first thing to do is to figure out why? Is there just no or little demand for child care right now? Make advertisements professional looking that stand out above from your competition so that they call you first. Downplay the things that you feel are negative about your daycare and turn them into positives.


etc. Just be creative with words . There is so much that you can do ... but the first step is to figure out why you aren't getting any interest.

This could not be any truer. I think that has a lot to do with why I get a lot of calls too. I know EXACTLY who I am, how I want to run my business, what I will and won't put up with and for some reason, that sense of confidence comes across nicely for me when I speak on the phone with people.

I don't know how to advise anyone to "do" that, but I know it has an impact on my business as I haven't had issues getting or keeping clients for quite a while now.

[jenn]

I have one open spot that I can't seem to fill. Normally, I can fill a spot within a week. However, this summer seems rough. I have had a few calls, but mainly from people wanting to hold spots for newborns (even though I advertise that I don't have room for newborns right now), and this spot need to be filled NOW. Crossing my fingers for a call soon!

[originalkat]

I have one opening for August that I am starting to advertise for. I posted it on Facebook and made a Craigslist Ad. We shall see what happens.

[Patches]

I have 5 spots open!!!!!!!! Just waiting for calls

[2grls4us]

I thought it was just me. I've had one opening for 6 months now. I have ran an ad in the local newspaper also have answered a few requests on FB. Not even one phone call from either. I even had someone ask to put them on a waiting list for when her baby was born she never replied back to me.

I sometimes regret terming a dcg but I think I would have lost other dcks if i would'nt have termed her. I was getting complaints from other parents and that they were concerned with their children being around her and the kids were crying to be dropped off. The girl cried 7 of the 9 hours she was here. The other kids and I were all on edge.

I have considered a part time job to make up for the income difference but family time is more important than the money. Not to mention I put in 50 + hrs and on mom duty 24/7.

[MarinaVanessa]

I thought it was just me. I've had one opening for 6 months now. I have ran an ad in the local newspaper also have answered a few requests on FB. Not even one phone call from either.

I have heard from many providers both here on the forum and from providers that I have met in my county through our CCIP program and through our child care association that newspaper ads are spendy and hardly ever result in any interest. The same goes for FB pages. FB pages are good to serve as an example for clients to look at if they want to get more information about what you do in the day if you take photos and post updates about the activities but they themselves generate a small amount of interest unless you have a large following.

Have you tried CL? I've gotten lots of interest through them. Also from creating a website and from posting lawn signs and flyers in local businesses that serve families. If you haven't tried any of these you should give it a try.